Reading Time: 3 minutes

I have seen so many examples of this in my life that I completely believe in photography. The digital age has made photography and video second nature. Remember when we had to develop film?

Incorporating digital photography and CAD (Computer Aided drafting)

I use digital photography all the time, In fact one client mentioned recently that she chose me to do the project “Because I cared enough to photograph the existing conditions”. I have taken my company to the next level by insisting upon well drawn plans, CAD drafting shrinks the time to draw and to make modifications in an amazing way.

When you get to see something first hand it makes such a difference. I hearken back to taste testing at the flying pie to dial in new recipes.

The concept of trying new materials against each other seemed natural but how could we create that test in remodeling?

Grout is grout, what’s the big deal?

I had been on the fence about grout and tile for years. The cementatious grout we’ve always used was pretty good. Sure it was lacking but that was all we had to work with.

• We had to seal it periodically
• Soap residue would get into it and grow mold.
• Joints would crack when dissimilar materials were in contact with each other

Then silicone color matched caulking arrived and it stopped the cracking issues but it still wasn’t great. That is when boosted or power grout came along. The stuff used an additive rather than water to seal up the grout and I thought we had found the new grout for Levco.

There are plenty of other “better than the old grout” products that are cheaper out there too.

I had heard of epoxy grout but had only used it once in what I though was an overkill situation. The client insisted so we used it, but was it really worth the extra expense and hassle?

A demonstration is worth 10 pictures

My tile guy and I decided to do a side by side demonstration of my go to power grout and epoxy grout on the same sheet of 3″ x 3″ tiles. He arrived in my office and was in a hurry, he had not labeled his experiment so I had no idea what was what. As I held it in my hand they looked identical, it seemed like a dud experiment to me.

As I flexed one side it cracked, I could barely flex the other side. Nothing happened the grout stuck to the tiles and did not crack. DONE. My mind was blown, it was an overwhelming success.

I used to think epoxy grout was too expensive. Now I won’t use regular cementatious grout unless a client insists, or the application is purely decorative and will never see traffic or water.

Epoxy is now my go to grout.

It is amazing in many ways. I believe that the extra expense if a good value but convincing others may be a chore.

• Yes more expensive
• Yes more time consuming to install
• Yes more difficult to install and clean up
  

The beauty of it is that it is permanent. No mold growth, no cracking, no sealing, and no call backs.

What I realized is that it is my job to discover these things for my clients and get them the latest and greatest materials. We now spec epoxy grout for our projects. This is how we at Levco raise the bar on our competition and the industry.

---

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, click here to email me directly, or call 208-947-7261

If you or someone you know is considering remodeling or just wants to speak to a trustworthy remodeling contractor please contact me, you’ll be glad you did.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.